Sly Cooper Returns in: Time Troubles!
by The Lupine Sojourner
Summary: "I focused on the humanoid I had just grabbed from midair. He was a raccoon! He wore a blue and gold long-sleeve shirt with matching gloves and newsboy hat, and blue leather boots that came up to his knees. He also had a red knapsack strapped to his thigh. Was this guy a mutant?" AKA, In Which Asami meets some fascinating people! Post-Sly 4 (SC) and during Fast Forward (TMNT 2k3)
1. An Unexpected Guest

**OKAY! SO...I LITERALLY STUMBLED ACROSS A NEW FANDOM FOR ME TO ADMIRE AND LOVE; SLY COOPER. I JUST LOVE HIM. AND BENTELY, CARMELITA, AND MURRAY (WHO DOESN'T?) SIDE NOTE; NO IDEA WHAT SLY'S FATHER'S NAME IS. PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME IF IT IS KNOWN TO YOU LOVELY READER.**

**SLY COOPER IS SUCH A LOVELY STORY, AND SO IS THE 2003 TMNT, SO...**

**CROSS-OVER TIME! SO...JUST...DON'T HATE ME, K? **

**PLEASE? WITH A CHERRY ON TOP? OH, AND SLIGHT 'AU' FOR SLY 4: THEIVES IN TIME, UNLESS YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE SECRET ENDING. THEN IT ISN'T REALLY AN 'AU'. MORE LIKE A FAN'S WISH. ;)**

**GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!**

**~LF221**

"For the _last time_, Raphael!" I snapped, whirling on my red-banded brother. For the past five minutes, he had been ranting on and on about every detail of the wrestling match that 'those darn refs' had been payed not to notice. I had suffered through it enough. This was the third time in as many _weeks_ that we (*cough* Raph *cough*) had gotten kicked out of an underground wrestling match in the 'older' layer of the city. I loved this layer, even with the freaky aliens walking around like no big deal. "Those refs were _bribed_ to not notice those fouls! Shut up already!" I seethed. Raph seemed slightly surprised at my outburst, and normally, I would have felt bad, maybe even have apologized, but not right now...

I was only phlegmatic for _so _long before I exploded.

"Whatevah." He muttered, sticking his thumbs in his belt, and walking with a sulking slump to his shoulders, grumbling under his breath. I took a deep breath, and refused to snap at him again. I stuck my own thumbs into my belt and walked alongside my brother.

For only about thirty seconds, tops, before I stopped, stock still in the middle of the alleyway we were traversing. Raph got a few yards away, still grumbling incoherently, before he noticed my lack of movement. He came walking back to me.

"What's up, sis?" He said, suddenly stern and grim-faced. I just barely noticed Raph's hand, gripping my shoulders, squeezing gently with urgency and concern. I held my hand up, silencing him. He glowered at me, but I had other things to worry about right now. I motioned for him to stay put. No sense trying to explain what was most likely nothing at all. I ran up and grabbed the ladder for the nearest fire escape, swinging myself up, not stopping to even acknowledge the feeling of nostalgia that swept over me. I was on the rooftop in seconds, straining my ears to catch-

There it was again! That odd sound, like lightning and sparks, flying together and colliding, making this almost static-y sound that set my ears buzzing. Then, the sound of something incredibly heavy, falling, ripping through the air. Several somethings, right above us. I looked up and saw some circular hole-like thing in midair, crackling energy coming off it. Inside it, blue and white swirls made vertigo rise in my stomach. And there were several parts to some kind of machine. What it was, I had no idea. Then, I noticed, clutching to a piece of whatever was falling...someone was screaming! I couldn't tell much about them, but I knew it wasn't entirely human. For starters...what that a tail I'm seeing, pulled taunt in the wind? He also appeared to be wearing some kind of mask, the tails ripping around about his face. Cursing our tenancy to walk everywhere, I ran and lept up, landing on a hover-car that was just passing by. Coincidental, maybe, but I was grateful.

From there, I lept up, catching the road that meant we were nearing the 'new' part of the city. I swung myself up onto the guard rail (ignoring the honking of passing cars), readying my grapple-hook and rope as I did. Within five seconds, I was swinging out, cursing myself as the...thing (dunno what it was; no judging) slipped by me. I calculated my decent, even as I let go of my rope. I let myself fall, and gripped the humanoid my the collar of his shirt, before leaning forward, aiming for the roof I had lept off not a minute ago. Gritting my teeth (this was gonna _hurt_ like shell), I swung the humanoid into my arms, bridal style. As I hit the gravel roof, I curled, and rolled. True to my prediction, I had earned scarped my knees and elbows, as well as a banged head, among other, minor injuries as we tumbled forward, the roll ending in a mess of limbs and tails. I sat up, rubbing my arms and legs. The man had fallen out of my arms, and had landed a few feet away, laying still and unmoving. I crawled over to him, ignoring Raph's anxious shouting and demands to know what I had just done as he swung himself onto the roof. Hadn't Raph noticed the falling mechanical parts? Anyway...he didn't need to know exactly what just yet. He would kill me. Then Don would-and will-kill me with his forced check-up. Funny thing was that if we had just gotten in a scuffle, this wouldn't matter that much. But with the distance I had fallen just now, coupled with my oh-so-graceful landing, would have Don fussing over me for ages.

But I was more concerned about the humanoid I had just grabbed from midair. He was...a raccoon! He wore a blue and gold long-sleeve shirt with matching gloves, a small red back-pack, blue-ish, grey-ish color newsboy hat, and blue leather boots that came up halfway up his legs. He also had a red knapsack, strapped to his thigh.

Was this guy...a mutant? Or was he just a furry alien that happened to have the same fur coloring patterns of earth's raccoons?

Psshhh...yeah. Right. We've all heard _that_ one before. I swung him up into my arms again. Before collapsing. My ribs were _killing_ me! I tapped my gauntlet, and accessed Leo's signal. He responded almost immediately.

..::Ami? You okay?::..

"Leo...there's a...situation. We need to be picked up." Instantly, Leo was anxious.

..::What's wrong? Are you both okay?::..

"Just get here. A.S.A.P." I said, and terminated the channel.

=#=#=#=#=

Surprisingly, Leo didn't say a word as he picked the strange raccoon-guy up, and set him in a chair in the Hover-Shell. He then sat back in the pilot's seat and set the auto-pilot to 'home' before sitting in front of me.

"Spill." Was all he said, but I knew he was fuming inside. I gulped, and leaning further into the seat.

"I saw him," I said, gesturing weakly toward the raccoon-guy, "falling from the sky. I intervened." I said simply. I didn't have the energy to go into any further detail at the moment. Leo huffed.

"Fine. We'll discuss this with Master Splinter when we get back to the Penthouse." He retorted, and went back to piloting the immense vehicle back home.

=#=#=#=#=

"Asami Hamato!" Donatello shouted, storming toward me. I sighed, letting my eyes close and slumped into the chair in the infirmary. "What were you _thinking_?!" he screeched, arms waving dramatically. I huffed in annoyance, and rolled my eyes, head resting against my fist. Was this really _that _complicated?

"I saved that guy!" I gestured toward the raccoon-guy laying on a cot near me with my free hand, "I was _thinking _he didn't deserve to become _pavement paint_!" I yelled back, leaping up from my seat near a cot in the infirmary with a sudden anger, biting back a small whimper as I raised my arms. "Why is this so hard to grasp?! It's not rocket science!"

"By that as it may," Donatello growled, arms crossed angrily, eyes narrowed dangerously. "you could've _died_, during this little _escapade_!" We resorted to literally growling at each other, in the other's face until Splinter suddenly appeared between us, pushing us apart.

"Regardless of how we feel about Asami's frankly rather rash and impulsive action," He said, glaring at me as he said 'rash and impulsive action', "she is home again, and relatively unharmed. The stranger she rescued, however, is not as lucky, it would seem." Splinter said, glaring at both of us. I huffed, eyes remaining narrowed in anger, but soon relaxed, and sat down in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest irritably.

"Dad's right, you know. He needs your help." I said, nodding toward the raccoon-guy laying on the cot. Don growled, but made no comment as he stormed off to look after our guest, who looked relatively peaceful, but had a subconscious grimace to his face that meant he was still in pain. He sometimes wriggles slightly, like he's experiencing something in his unconscious state. Like he's dreaming. I raise an eyeridge curiously.

Okay...I can't be the only one who is wondering what he's dreaming about right now, am I?

Seriously? Just me..? *Sigh* Oh, well...

**=#=#=(Author Apologizes For All Creative Liberties. Thank You.) =#=#=**

_Boom._

_Boom._

_BOOM!_

_Those three slams to the door are the only warning for the father and son in the small apartment. It was the younger raccoon's eight birthday, and the pair were making a special dinner they reserved merely for these occasions. _

_But those dreams of fun-filled meals and bedtime stories were shattered as five nightmarish figures approached the house and rammed through the door. The young raccoon had just enough time to be thrust into the gaming and blankets closet in the living room that held a cane he knew nothing about yet before the five men came charging into the homely little apartment. _

"_You just stay right here, Sly. Don't come out for nothing." His father said, hugging his son one last time, planting a kiss on his cheek before he left to engage the newcomers with his own cane. There was a serious and sad edge to his father's voice that Sly didn't-well...couldn't-understand yet. One figure in particular looked like some devilish bird, with wings larger than anyone had seen before. Or at least, the young raccoon had never seen anything like it. I mean, there were some freaky looking shadows in the old photos in the book his father read him every night, but...those were just shadows, flitting over the ground. Nothing to worry about. _

_Right? _

_Sly trembled in terror and fear as the men struck his father, Connor Cooper, again and again. Connor's cries did nothing to ease Sly's churning stomach, nor his racing heart. Tears brimmed and burned in Sly's eyes as he saw his father fall the ground, groaning and clutching his side. Then, that demonic bird came forward, talons outstretched, and-_

_Blood seeped out of Connor's chest, even dribbling down his chin as he struggled for another few moments, before letting himself fall to the floor. He lay there, oozing blood down his chest, even his chin was developing a thin crimson line. Task completed, the bird waved everyone away, and they started roughly searching through the house...as if looking for something. Completely ignoring his father's order, Sly ran out of the closet and fell to his knees at his father's side. He somehow knew his father would never rise from that floor again. It was over. Connor raised himself weakly, but fell back into his son's arms. _

"_Daddy!" The young raccoon cried, gripping his father's slightly trembling hand as if he would never let go. Connor smiled sadly, then was struck by a couching fit. _

"_S-Sly...listen here." He said, attempting (and failing) to pull his son closer. Sly leaned down eagerly as his father gulped and took a few heaving, raspy breaths before continuing. "I-I love you. Ya k-know that, right? But, y-you've gotta-gotta be a big boy now, ya hear?" Another coughing fit, this one sounding much worse than the last one. Sly suddenly knew what those men were looking for; his family's most valued possession: The Thievius Raccoonus. "Y-you can't let t-them get t-that book, son..." His father whispered hoarsely. Connor wasn't going anywhere (at least, not yet) so Sly took off. As soon as he reached the main dining room, he knew they were too close to finding the book; his father had long ago entrusted the location to him. He charged without thought, and received a smack across the room for his bravado. That hellish bird was standing over him, leaning down ominously. _

"_You're time will come, young Cooper. You're time will come." He whispered softly, with enough malice and hate behind the words and in his very eyes to drain Sly of his ability to do anything but sit there and shake in terror as the thieves made off with the pages of his family's book. _

_Never had he felt this terrified. He returned to his father, even as sirens blared through the night. Connor seemed to grimace, though it seemed he had hardly moved. He was fading. Fast. But he heard the sound of police sirens, and knew that the cops wouldn't treat the son of a master thief such as himself, **his** son, with the greatest kindness, or respect._

"_S-son..." He whispered, a terrible grating noise, "I'm s-sorry. Be strong..." With one last, encouraging smile, he faded out of life and his smile was forever frozen on his face. Sly had his father's head in his lap, and sobbed, refusing to budge. _

=#=#=#=#=

I was just drifting off, having relieved Donatello an hour or two ago. Nothing at all had changed with the raccoon-guy. Although, his twitching got more and more intense as time passed. Just as my eyes slid closed, no matter how hard I tried to keep them open, he moved.

A lot. He thrashed against the cot once, then lay still, shaking as if staring something horrific in the face. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched back.

"N-No..." He slurred, and turned over. Which, on this small cot, meant he fell flat on the ground. He instantly sprang up, and gazed around him with horror, then he eventually locked eyes with me, his eyes lighting up with an odd, unfamiliar look about them. It seemed like he knew me, but I had never seen him before, so...what the shell was going on?!

Before I could open my mouth, he beat me to it.

"C-Carmileta?" He whispered, sounding incredibly relieved and elated to see me. Or this 'Carmelita' character, whomever that-WHAT is he-Before anything could happen, he was leaping over the cot, and hugging me tightly against him. "Yer okay!" I blinked. I...wasn't supposed to be? As he squeezed the life out of me, I just stood there, shocked and confused beyond belief. Then, he drew back, and stroking my hair, (_what_?!), cupping my face in his hand, _(Creepy!) _but still hugging me close (almost as if he wouldn't let me go. Ever) he fiercely, yet gently pressed his lips on mine!

What the _shell_ was he doing?! It seemed like this 'Carmelita' was someone special to him, or else he wouldn't have kissed me, obviously, but...he _kissed_ me!

So...was Carmelita his...girlfriend? Or maybe...his wife?

Nevertheless, I slammed him back, a sharp bark of shock and slight fear overwhelming my rational brains. Before I could blink, I had him against the nearest wall, fist pressing against his chest in a no-nonsense manner. He seemed equally shocked and hurt at my actions.

"_What_ was _that_?!" I screeched, panting and trying to regain my thoughts. What had just happened?! He called me some name I had never heard of, then hugged and _kissed _me?!

Then, realization lit his eyes, and he flushed a dark shade of scarlet. His ears flattened against his head in embarrassment.

"Crap. You're...not Carmelita." I cleared my throat, backing off hurriedly, and straightened my self.

"No, I'm not, sir. Who, may I ask, are you?" I said, head cocking to the side in confusion. He, too, cleared his throat, scratching his head, keeping his gaze locked on the ground.

"Name's Sly. Sly Cooper." He mumbled. I chuckled.

"Mine's Asami, but you can call me 'Ami', if ya want." I said, and placed a hand on his shoulder, to reassure him. "Hey. You're...uh...it's fine, really. I mean, I know this 'Carmelita' must mean a lot to you, so...don't beat yourself up about it." I muttered, feeling awkward and embarrassed myself. I gave a weak chuckle, and scratched my own head, not knowing what else to do or say, really...then he collapsed against me, panting heavily and it seemed like his limbs refused to move. I heaved him higher into my arms, and moved to put him on the cot.

And it was then that Leo decided to come in. He blinked, noting how close we were. My heart fluttered in embarrassment, but I refused to back away from Sly. He needed my help, looking kinda pathetic, awkward and embarrassed, but still couldn't seem to move or breath. Leo, however, took no notice of that, and had his sword pointed at Sly's neck in a blink, standing between us. Sly was left to collapse to the floor, trying to keep a flimsy grip on the cot. And failing.

"What were you two doing?" He asked, voice low and menacing. I huffed.

"Nothing, Leo. Sly here just woke up." I said, winking at Sly from behind my angry little brother. Leo didn't look any less angry, so I swung myself around and pushed the katana away from my new friend's throat, and attempted to scoop him up. "Look, just calm down, alright." I said, voice betraying my own anger. Leo, however, would have none of it, and pushing me back, causing Sly to once again flop onto the cot, where he struggled to keep himself up. "What's got you all worked up, anyway?" I snapped, arms crossed over my chest as Leo kept me away from Sly by standing between us and literally holding me back. Without waiting for a reply, I pushed away from Leo, and slipped under him, and back to Sly. He still had immense trouble breathing, and had once again fallen to the floor. I frowned, then bit my lip. Where did Kody keep those breathing things? Leo huffed, rolled his eyes, and sheathed his katana, but did not drop his stance. He stood with arms crossed, eyes narrowed in absolute fury.

"I heard your bark, and came running, thinking you could be in danger, only to find you two, practically hugging!" He snapped. "What do you think has gotten me this worked up?!" I sighed.

"He was...confused when he woke up, and I was helping him figure stuff out. It's all good now, though." I said, thanking the Lord for my fur, which hid my furious blushing. Nevertheless, not caring what Leo would think, I turned back and picked Sly up again. He was now just dead weight in my arms, which alarmed me. I glanced down to see he had passed out from the strain of trying to breath this faint atmosphere, and move through the harsher gravity. It hadn't made for a pretty sight. I heaved him up, and glared at Leo before carrying Sly out to find Don and Kody and see if they could find another breathing/gravity thingy. I laid him out on the couch, and he had yet to wake up. I bit my lip, looking down at him with worry and concern before taking off and running for the lab.

=#=#=#=#=

Carefully...carefully...carefully...

I let one, solitary drop of the reactant I was working with into an experimental medicinal solution I was developing for our newest 'guest', that raccoon-like-guy Asami had picked up, at the risk of her own life.

Not that I am bitter. I felt bad just leaving Asami there, when I had never gone to sleep in the first place. I had come here, too tired to sleep, but unable to do anything anywhere else. This place had a special charm about it that I couldn't resist.

And plus, I had an excuse. And, if I say so myself, it's a pretty good one. Sighing, I watched as the chemicals fizzed and made that soft, bubbling noise that means a chemical reaction is most definitely taking place. I let my head rest against my arm, which lay on the table I was using, fighting a yawn.

That was when this haven of serenity was shattered by the sudden appearance of my sister, sprinting into the lab like she was gonna die if she didn't make it here.

"D-Don...breathing...chest...Sly...need...now." She panted out, gesturing to the mechanical devices that allowed us to move and breath normally she wore on her chest. I raised an eyeridge at her, and she stood there panting, trying to get her breathing low enough to be able to speak normally.

"Our guest...needs...one of these." She said, again pointing to her breastplate-like object. I nodded, and went to a supply closet. Drawing one out, I gestured for Asami to go first, and she took off again, down the hall.

=#=#=#=#=

Man, am I having a _bad_ day!

First off, Le Paradox had insisted on dueling me aboard his blimp. Then I got stuck there when Paradox stole my glider-pack. (I know, right? How ironic? The master thief gets robbed. Laugh it up.)

_Then_, I ended up flying through time and space, ending up in midair above an incredibly odd looking city of massive size.

I should know. I got a spit-second look at it as I clung to a random piece of the blimp, and was falling through space.

_Ttthheeeennnn_, some random person tried to grab me as they swing on a rope (Who _does_ that, anyway? Well, who besides me?) but fails. They manage to recover me, however.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good look at them, (Or any look at all, really) because the moment they grabbed my collar, and I snapped to a stop, my body seized up, and I saw black spots for a moment, and all was dark.

Next thing I know, I am falling flat on my face on an extremely hard flooring. I hear a small gasp, and quickly stand up, realizing I had an audience. I gazed around, completely disoriented and then find the only other person in the room.

And it was the last person I thought I would see again!

Carmelita Fox herself, though she was dressed a little different. Some kinda black body-suit and chest-plate thing. And was that a mask she was wearing now? Odd, but...I liked the new look. Before I can stop myself (Not that I would've) I am calling her name, leaping over a cot and hugging her. She feels like I always remember. I exclaim that she's okay, and she just stands there, unmoving, but I don't stop to consider why.

Then, I remember the promise I made to myself, during the whole 'Cooper vault' fiasco. And I lean back, still hugging her close, and kiss her like I truly mean it. Like I had always done. Fierce, yet gentle. It was the way I always stole those last-minute kisses as I made daring escapes.

Apparently, I _am_ in a different time, because she reacts...unusually. Before I can explain myself, Carmelita has me against the wall, fist pressed against my chest.

"_What_ was _that_?!" She screeched. I blinked. That voice...it was most certainly _not _Carmelita. Realizing my really rather embarrassing mistake, I blushed scarlet and my ears flattened against my head in utter shame. Oh, boy. Was _this _gonna be _awkward_ with a capital 'A'...

"Crap." I mutter, figuring I shouldn't keep up the charade of knowing this woman. "You're not Carmelita." Was the first thing that popped into my head. She backed off, realizing that I had simply mistaken her for someone else. She still seemed a little shaken up, but straightened herself a bit.

"No, I'm not, sir. Who, may I ask, are you?" She asked, head tilted. I smiled. Nice manners. Nevertheless, I _had_ just kissed her. I felt terrible about it, and couldn't bring myself to look up, and my nervous habit of scratching the back of my head kicked in.

"Name's Sly. Sly Cooper. What's yours?" I asked. She chuckled.

"Mine's Asami, but you can call me 'Ami', if ya want." She said, with amusement in her voice. Then, she put her hand on my shoulder, which I guess was still slumped, and she gave me a slightly awkward grin. "Hey." She said, and I brought my head up slightly, "You're...uh...it's fine, really. I mean, I know this 'Carmelita' must mean a lot to you, so...don't beat yourself up about it." She went on, then gave me a weak chuckle, scratching the back of her head.

I was running out of the initial adrenaline rush I had when I woke up, and now that it had...I felt...heavy. Like, and don't laugh, gravity was increasing at a rapid pace. Too rapid. Then, as if the situation _needed _to get more awkward, with the gravity increase I collapsed against Asami, breathing heavily in the suddenly thin air. Like, crazy thin air. It was so weird. Nevertheless, I tried to move away, but it was like someone had attached weights to my limbs, and they now simply _refused_ to move. At all. It gets awkward quickly when Asami heaves me higher. My head flops against her shoulder, and she grunts, and shuffles off.

Another weird side to this is that Asami doesn't seem to be effected. She looks concerned, and hauls me over to the bed.

Just as Ami was setting me down, there's sound of a door opening, and someone running in. Ami halts all movement. I can barely see a turtle standing there, wearing the same chest-plate thingy that Asami wears, and a belt that holds something against his back, though I can't see what, as well as a light blue mask around his eyes. He runs into the room, and then slides to a halt, blinking at us. Asami went tense, and before she or I could do anything, the turtle was standing between me and my new friend, katana pointed at my throat, glaring down at me with pure white eyes. Asami just took a few steps back as the turtle forced us apart. I, however, stumbled back and simply fell to the floor, catching the cot and struggling to keep a grip on it.

"What were you two doing?" The turtle growled and pressed the sword pressed against my neck a little harder, which I thought was a little unnecessary. I mean, it's not like I'm going anywhere. In fact, with my lack of movement, a thin line of crimson eased it's way through my fur. Asami huffs, clearly irritated. If I could've, I would've made some crack about how she might not want to antagonize the guy literally holding my life in his hands. Not that it would have stopped her, but that wouldn't have stopped me from trying. Who was this guy, anyway?

Elder brother? Best Friend, or...with the highest awkward factor...her boyfriend?

"Nothing, Leo." She growled, with that same irritated tone. "Sly here just woke up." She said, poitnign at me, and taking a tone that meant this 'Leo' was supposed to make some kind of connection. She slipped a wink at me, like 'donchu worry. I can handle this angry turtle. No problem.'

Confident much? Wish I could breath properly. I'm missing golden opportunities. This time is weird.

'Leo', however, didn't make any connections. Asami realized this, and swung around the turtle, pushing the blade away from me with the confidence and precision of someone who knows their knives. Reminds of watching Rioichi reopen his shop. I wonder if we're somehow related, like...Asami's my great-times-a-thousand daughter. That would be _supremely_ awkward. For both of us.

"Look, just calm down.." She said, reaching down and trying to pick me up again. I felt ridiculous, having to be picked up like a child. But at least Asami wasn't the teasing type. At least, not while someone is threatening a life with a rather sharp looking sword. "What's got you all worked up, anyway?" She snapped, eyes narrowed in fresh anger and irritation at this guy. Leo just continued to glare at Asami and I with those creepy white eyes. I mean, Asami has them, too, but...somehow...they're not as creepy. After a moment, Leo slowly sheathed his katana, but didn't drop the defensive stance he had going on.

"I heard your bark, and came running, thinking you could be in danger, only to find you two, practically hugging!" He snapped. "What do you think has gotten me this worked up?!" Man, did this guy have anger issues. Asami just sighed, like this was to be expected. And, I guess, it was.

As soon as possible, Leo had gotten Asami back behind him, not totally convinced I wasn't gonna hurt her, apparently. Now, without waiting for Leo to reply, she shoved away from him and slipped under Leo's arms, and stood in between me and Leo.

Man, if Bentley and Murray were here...ugh. They'd _never_ let me live this down. Having to be rescued from some angry guy with a katana. And by a _female_, no less.

"He was...confused when he woke up, and I was helping him figure stuff out. It's all good now, though." Asami said, and I could practically _feel_ her blushing, though her fur hid it well. Then, black spots filled my vision once more, and I felt dizzy and ready to pass out.

If Bentely were here, he'd have told me that this most likely due to my sudden lack of oxygen, and then my continued exposure to the thinner atmosphere.

Good Ole Bentely...

=#=#=#=#=

It's at times like these I thank the lord I am older than Leo. Currently, Leo and I were in the middle of a 'discussion' regarding recent events with Sly. I was about to give Leo my exact opinion on the subject of his actions.

"Leo...you are my _younger_ brother, _not_ my _father_!" I yelled. Leo stood before me with arms crossed, and eyes narrowed.

"But I _am_ your brother! And your leader. As such, I have the right to be concerned about my sister." He seethed.

"If you hadn't jumped to conclusions," I hissed back. "you would have seen that Sly was suffering from the changes in gravity and temperature! But NO!" I yelled. "You just _had_ to jump to the stupid conclusion that, somehow, he was going to hurt me, but you should know if he showed any violent intentions whatsoever, I would have _clobbered_ him myself!" I growled, and left before I could say anything else I would regret.

"Well," Leo whispered as I left, "Excuse me for caring about you. I'll leave you alone next time."

I bit my lip, resolving to apologize later as I walked away. I already felt terrible.

=#=#=#=#=

Huffing, I allowed my tired body to collapse onto a couch in the living room. This day hadn't gone according to plan in terms of my relationships with my siblings. First, I had snapped at Raphael, earning _his _ire coming home from the wrestling match; one of the few I had been actually semi-interested in. Then Raph had to go and try to fight in the ring himself, to 'show those wimps how it's done!'.

And now, I had fought with Leo, earning his remorse, and adding it to my guilt and shame. I let my arm fall over my eyes. I hadn't gotten hardly any sleep the previous night, laying awake for a few hours before going and relieving Donatello, who only went to the lab. He had said he was going to bed, but I knew better. At least I hadn't hurt Don or Mikey.

"Ami?" A voice my mind placed as Mikey called from behind the couch. Curious, I sat up and gazed behind the couch to see Mikey, sitting on the ground, watching my every move.

"Leo said you were in a snappy mood. Didn't wanna push my luck." He explained, but upon seeing my tired and remorseful eyes, he stood up, and sat beside me. "Wanna talk about it?" He asked gently, glancing at me with wide, concerned eyes. Not knowing how to articualte correctly with the lump building in my throat, I hugged my littlest brother to me.

"I-I hurt Leo." I whispered, my voice raspy with the lump. Mikey seemed to understand what exactly I meant.

"He's just a little high strung. Ever since the Shokan'abo fiasco." He murmured. I grimaced. I could sometimes still get the taste of that filthy slime-ball's disgusting slimy gag. I had gulped water for five minutes straight as soon as I got back to the penthouse. I groaned.

"I hadn't thought about that. Ugh! I am such an idiot!" I growled, grimacing at myself. Mikey chuckled, and drew me closer. I leaned my head against my brother's shoulder, managing not to hit the shell, a trick I had learned before I turned five.

"Yer cute when you hate yourself, but don't. Leo feels bad, too. He knows he shouldn't have reacted that way, but he had acted before he could think, and things went downhill." I hugged my brother. He understood us perfectly, and could get us to feel better without really thinking.

"Thanks, bro." Mikey smiled.

"Any time, Ami." He laughed. I went back to the den I had laid Sly out in. And found him awake.


	2. Returning to His Time

**HHHEEEYYY, HHEEYY, HEY! HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPPIE! THIS WILL/SHOULD BE THE LAST ONE, THOUGH. I WAS GONNA HAVE THESE ALL SMASHED INTO ONE CHAPTER, BUT IT WOULD BE, LIKE, OVER 25 PAGES. SO, I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT YOU THROUGH THAT. :) I'M ALREADY TORTURING YOU WITH A FEW MONOLOGUES, SO...YEAH. SORRY.**

**ANYWAY...HERE YA GO!**

**GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!**

**~THE LUPINE SOJOURNER**

"Hey." I called as I entered. Sly grinned up at me from his position, lounged on the couch. Apparently, he had just woken up.

"Hey." Then, his grin melted into a look of embarrassment. "I, uh...I'd imagine...you wanna talk?" he asked sheepishly. I smiled as I sat down beside him. I hummed, pretending to be caught up in thought. Finally, I nodded.

"I think that'd be best." I said with a light laugh. Sly frowned, seeming to notice that something was different, as if just realizing he wasn't having difficulty breathing and moving. He gazed at his chest, then mine. "Oh. That's to help you breath and move as you're used to. Sorry about earlier. I meant to go get you one shortly after you woke up, but...Leo happened, and..." I trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward and embarrassed. Sly blushed, remembering everything. In synch, we started scratching our heads. Turns out we both have the same nervous tick.

"Brother?" He asked. I nodded, still scratching. Then, we simultaneously noticed the other's actions, and immediately started chuckling. Then, that dissolved into laughter.

"So..." Sly started after a few moments of merriment. "I do hope you know...I _never _would have even _thought_ of...kissing you, if I had known who you were. I mean, you look a bit like my...uh..." Then, he started laughing...why, I have no idea. "I have no idea what to call her right now, really." Then, he glanced at me, evidently reading my confusion. "Here, let me explain. Uh...It all started when I was casing this opera house." Another small chuckling fit, then he goes on. Clearly, he likes this story. A lot. "I was opening the skylight, when I realized that there were people, right below me! Thankfully, the skylight was regularly maintained, and it never made a sound. I just sat there, however, and listened as a rookie inspector and her mentor were arguing, and let me tell you-she. Was. B_eautiful_. She's a fox, with this top that only barely covers her chest. On a good day. She also wears a yellow jacket, that reaches around half-way down her back. And with those gloves to match the jacket, she was a sight to behold. She wore the insignia for Interpol as a pendant on a blue fabric choker. I blinked. If _Interpol_ was here, then this treasure was a score well worth the hassle. Heh. Turns out, this diamond was being displayed there, and the rookie was supposed to protect it. Hardly fair, since I was in the house." He noted. I scoffed, then things clicked.

"Wait...you're a thief!" I exclaimed with a chuckle. This just keeps getting better. "And is this...rookie female fox inspector a mutant, or...what?" Instantly, I knew I had somehow offended this inspector. And Sly, who looked taken aback, hurt and confused.

"Wha-No! She's as lovely as can be! What makes you think she's a hideous mutant!" He cried, now standing and facing me, a look of indignation on his face. Wow. He's really into this gal. I laughed out loud, though couldn't deny a bit of hurt at mutants being assumed to be hideous.

"Uh...no offense, man. It's just...anthropomorphic animals- -dubbed mutants- -are an _extremely_ rare breed on this planet. In fact, you're looking at one of the few samples in existence." I explained, looking at Sly with amused confusion. He blinked.

"What? Everyone where I come from is some animal or another. So...mutants are _not_ something you want to mess with, look at, or even know about." Sly returned, and I nodded, pursing my lips as I digested this information. At least, he didn't _mean_ to insult me and my family.

"Okay...now, on with your story, please. It was getting good." I smirked, resting my chin on my hand, which was propped up on my knee. I had my legs crossed, thoroughly engrossed by this tale. Sly chuckles, but sits down. May as well kill time.

"Anyway, I was so enchanted by this poor rookie, as well as amused by her mentor's constant ranting, that I failed to notice the guards approaching. Then, the rookie herself appears. She claims that she took me down single handed-ly, but I beg to differ. After all, it's easy fighting off a miniature army of gorilla guards, _then_ having to deal with an angry fox. Of course, she was quick with the ropes, and locked me in a closet until she could get me to the nearest police station, as she had a sudden security alert to attend to. Lucky for me, a janitor, unfazed by events, opened the door to retrieve his things, and I hopped out, ready to continue my heist, only to find out that someone had beaten me to it! The stage manager had swiped the diamond, and was making off with it in the confusion. You see, the police and Interpol considered anyone that was on staff and such above suspicion. Foolish, but an easy mistake. So, when I saw that sneaky thief coming my way, I used my cane to trip him up, gathering the diamond up for further examination. Thinking fast, I tied the stage manager up above the trio on the stage while the veteran inspector _laid into_ the poor rookie. And with the opera star wailing and bemoaning her loss, it was _quite_ the performance. And, just as I thought the inspector was going to fire that rookie, just like that-"

"Sorry to interrupt. Again. But...what's this 'rookie's' name, anyway?" I asked, now sitting back into the couch, arms crossed loosely over my abdomen. Sly chuckled.

"Her name is Carmelita, as I had gathered from her superior officer." He said. I guffawed. So...he had a _thing_ for the Interpol officer he met at an opera house heist?! Oh, wow. This was _too_ good! "Hey! Let me finish!" Sly complained with a totally fake stern expression. Which he lost almost immediately. "Anyway, so I cut the rope holding the crook above the stage, and let him plop down in front of the startled officers. I had left a small calling card attached to the diamond, and she read it with a beautiful mixture of love and hate. It was priceless!" He laughed. I smirked. He was probably only seeing what he wanted to see, judging by what he had told me so far of this gal. "I was sitting, far back in the rows of chairs, witnessing the start of our history, and then remembered that I was supposed to be escaping. Like, _ten minutes_ ago! I high-tailed it out of there, but not before Carmelita got back on track with her career, thanks to me." He finished, standing up and bowing slightly, tipping his hat off to me. He flopped back down. "So...what's your story?" I breathed a sigh. My personal story wasn't all that pleasant, and though I couldn't have asked for a better family...let's just say...it was a rough first five years, bullied in the orphanage, and then mutated before finding a family in six animals I found in the sewers. My eyes focused on the floor, my elbows resting on my knees.

"Well...I don't remember my dad. I found out a little while ago that he was killed doing...um...security work. I never even knew him. Mom went missing about a month later." I confessed with a shrug. It hurt, but it wasn't quite as bad as if Splinter himself had died. Good _Lord_ no! "When I was around five, at the orphanage, this man named Mr. Mordu adopted me, and one day showed me where he worked, so that 'there will be no more secrets between us', as he put it. However, I was not very interested and wandered off, finding a room of various animals and was instantly enchanted by the puppies. Then, I knocked over a canister of what I later learned was alien ooze and was mutated into the wolf before you."

"Really? I mean, I personally have seen some odd things, but...an alien ooze?" He asked incredulously. His look told me that unless I can prove to him that I'm not lying...he's not gonna buy anything I tell him. And...it's not like he _needs_ to, but...it would make things easier.

"Oh, yeah." I said, waving off the doubt like a gnat, and then I pulled out my Shell-Cell, which, sadly, was obsolete now that we had these nifty gauntlets. I pulled up pictures. Thankfully, I had pictures from our escapades in TCRI, before we learned more about the Utrom. I wanted to remember that day, not sure why at the time. I showed Sly, and he just stared at it with wide eyes. Then, he blinked slowly, as if trying to convince himself that what he was seeing was indeed reality. "He showed me a lot of his work (nothing about the alien part yet, though) when he brought me to his workplace, but I, being a five year old little girl, wandered away. As I felt this slimy ooze cover me, I immediately felt like something was wrong. I stumbled out of the room, subconsciously still clinging to the puppy. I passed out then and there. When I woke...I felt...different. I looked down at myself, and to my horror I was covered in fur, my cloths in tatters! I had a tail, and a snout, complete with whiskers and fangs. Horrified, and not knowing how my surrogate father would react, I ran out of Mr. Mortu's workplace, and out into a side alley. I started crying, and then the puppy ran away from me, so I chased it. I fell down into the sewer, which was flooded a bit, and I was swept away, ending up on a small platform and found that the small puppy had somehow ended up beside me. Before anything else could be done, I heard a van, careening down the road. It swerved around the bend above us, and in it's haste, a container of that vile ooze fell down and broke, nearly crushing four turtles that had also been washed down. I was mortified about what was happening, about to help, but then a rat crawled over, curious as to what the commotion was about. I helped him get the turtles into a coffee can, having nowhere else to put them, and carried the can and the puppy over to where the rat's burrow was. I slipped into sleep, and woke to find that the puppy, rat, and turtles had grown immensely overnight! They were also sentient now, and we grew into a family. Father, it turns out, had learned the art of ninjutzu from watching his owner, a Japanese man by the name of Hamato Yoshi. But, he was slain for being a guardian of the aliens and not giving their location to some enemy of theirs. We have since learned ninjutzu, and started patrolling the city, stopping crimes from the shadows, and found that enemy of the aliens', the one that killed Hamato Yoshi. My father urged us to stand up to him, and time after time, we defeated him. However, he kept coming back, until finally, the alien race, called Utroms, caught up with him, and exiled him to an icy asteroid. We haven't seen him since." I finished. Sly was just sitting there, blinking.

"I wish I could say that my own story was as complex, and interesting." He chuckled. "Wow. I haven't seen anything like aliens, but...I understand what you said about losing your parents. I never knew my mother, but my father was everything I needed. He would bounce me on his knee, and read me stories from a family tome, the Thievius Raccoonus. It told readers about the escapades and techniques of our ancestors. You see, we Coopers are a family of thieves, but with a catch; we _only_ steal from other thieves. And we _never_ resort of involving civilians, like keeping them hostage or anything like that. On the night of my eighth birthday, I was to inherit the book. However, there were enemies of the Cooper clan, called the Fiendish Five. They attacked the house, and dad hid me in a closet, telling me he loved me before attempting to fight the villains off. It resulted in my father's death. I saw the thieves trying to get at our family's book, and tried to stop them. But, they ended up getting away from me, a fifth of the book in each of their vile clutches. When I was old enough, I tracked each of the Fiendish Five, and recovered the book. As I was tracking the fifth member, I made a horrid discovery. As I engaged the final member, it was revealed that this guy, a completely cybernetic owl calling himself Clockwerk, had been so driven by vengeance and hatred that he had kept himself alive through advances with machinery. And that was purely to obliterate my family from existence, hunting each and every member down." I gulped. It reminded me of how the Shredder had never ceased in his desire to 'remove the thorns from his sides' and kill us. I shivered at the memory of how Karai had been so twisted by her foster father's evil ways she had destroyed my family's house in the sewers when she lost him. I had nearly lost my family that day... "And when I thought I had defeated him, he nearly came back. Thankfully, me and my gang were able to prevent that, and eventually destroyed the Hate Chip. Something that fueled Clockwerk through all those years." He then seemed to just stare off into space, deep in thought. He then laughed softly. "I wish I had the Thievius Raccoonus on me. I could show you evidence of how long that creep was around. In very nearly _every_ _single_ picture of my ancestors, there is the shadow of that demonic bird. And a lot of them died because of him." He said, with a sad edge to his voice and his eyes. I put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"So, I guess we're even now, huh?" He chuckled. I smirked.

"Yeah, we're even." Then, Sly seemed to formulate more questions for me.

"Wait...what year is this?" He asked, as if slightly afraid to learn the answer. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but knew better than to dodge the topic.

"2105." I said, grimacing slightly. As predicted, Sly let out a heavy groan, and slumped forward, head buried in his hands. "Why?"

"I come from 2013!" He muttered, sounding hopelessly defeated. I decided to let him in on our predicament, as well.

"Hey. We're supposed to be in 2005, but here we are." I said with a shrug. Sly looked taken aback.

"How?" He asked, leaning forward.

"Well...the great-grandson of some friends of ours wanted to learn more about us, and developed a time-window in order to find out more about us, as we constantly remained in the shadows, and undetected. But something went wrong, and he ended up accidentally teleporting us through time and space." I said with a shrug. "And...until he can figure out exactly what went wrong, we're stuck here." Then, Sly got an idea.

"You know...I have had some experience with time travel myself. Although I am by _no_ means a genius inventor, like my friend, Bentely, I think I _might_ still have his tablet with me..." He muttered, searching through his back-pack. Suddenly, I remembered Don and Kody sorting through his personal effects, as they didn't trust him yet. They thought it might hold secrets and information we need to know.

"Oh, that thing..." I said, looking sheepish. "We, uh...it fell out of your pack, and it's currently undergoing investigation by our resident geniuses." I explained. Sly groaned.

"They haven't dissected it, have they?" He asked. I shrug.

"Depends on just how curious they are, but I think the worst they've done so far is hack into it." I said, and Sly bolted up.

"Take me to it! I think I know a way to get back to my gang!" He said. I ran with him toward the lab.

=#=#=#=#=

As I run with Asami, I can't help feeling a little anxious. I could only hope that her other family members weren't as high-strung as the first guy I had come across. Leo. That guy was serious when it came to trusting people. Meaning, he was hostile toward new people until it was proven that they weren't a threat. If these 'resident geniuses' were anything like Bentley, they already have the tablet in pieces. It _may_ just contain the blueprints for the time machine Bentley developed for when we had to flit through time and space during the whole time-traveling adventure. If it _was_ on there, I could contact Bentley, and get him to calibrate...oh. Wait.

We would need an object from this era for them to get to me.

But...we can deal with that problem later. Right now...I need that tablet. When we finally get to the lab, I find a turtle wearing a purple mask, and a human kid that couldn't be older than 15, working away. They were pretty shocked when we came bursting into the lab, but they explained that they had no need to dissect the tablet, with all these advances in science and technology. They handed back my tablet, and sure enough, it still held all of Bentley's notes and theories in it. I remembered Bentley telling me that the tablets automatically updated themselves, no matter what. I flipped through design after design, until I got to the designs for the Time Machine. I showed it to the scientists, and they studied it for what felt like hours. Finally they turned to me, and explained that, while they had all the mechanical parts to build this object, they had no idea where any crystals were. I asked if diamonds would do, and they hesitantly said that they could potentially work with that.

The only problem was...there were no diamonds big enough to be set at the right frequency (or something like that) to power this thing around. Then, after a few moments of thought, they said that some company called 'O'Neill Tech' housed an experimental fabricated diamond so large it should provide the right frequency. I was reminded of Bentley as they spoke, and felt suddenly anxious to get back to the gang. I had abruptly left them, with no clues as to when I went. They must think I'm dead or something.

Ouch. I then smirked as the pair told me all about how they couldn't just 'walk in, grab it, and walk out', as it was kept under guard in the company's labs. They said it would take the owner of O'Neill Tech himself to get through to it without getting evaporated by lasers, and whatnot.

When I told them that I dealt with this kinda stuff _all_ the time, they stood there, slack-jawed. Until Asami told them briefly about my family's lineage as master thieves. Then, it seemed to make a bit more sense to them, and they agreed that I should probably do it, since through a series of events, the local Constable basically hunted these mutants, but it wasn't like with Carmelita and me. This guy didn't hunt them down; it was more like he just wanted to arrest them whenever he caught them. Every time. For whatever reason, apparently.

Anyway, I assured the turtles that this was not something new, and that I would have the diamond before dawn. They didn't seem convinced, but let the issue drop. I left with Asami to get that diamond, feeling focused and ready to get this show on the road.

=#=#=#=#=

I ran along the rooftop, leading Sly up to the O'Neill Tech HQ, and into that maze of a building. The only reason I wasn't in a bed right now is because Sly needed someone who knew the inside, and though I was exhausted I couldn't sleep. Instead I felt myself raring for action. So here I was. I halted on the roof directly across from said HQ, and brought out my grappling hook, swinging it, aiming for a ledge of the opposing roof. Sly grinned.

"And here I thought I was the only one that still swung around on ropes." He muttered, and brought out a wooden pole with a wicked looking hook attached to the end of it. I remembered him mentioning something about a cane during a previous conversation.

"Your cane?" I asked as I tossed the rope, and it caught on a ledge, two floors down.

"Yep. Whachu got?" He slyly replied. I smirked, and brought out my tomahawks. Sly looked awed for a moment. I hooked my babies on the rope, ready to slide, while Sly looked slightly nervously at the rope, as if worried it wouldn't hold both of us at one time. I snickered. Time to see what this raccoon could really do.

=#=#=#=#=

Okay...so the raccoon can climb. I'll give him that much...

Now came the fun part; nighttime security measures. Darius Dunn assumed that no guards were necessary, since he had put in so many various traps and such. Or at least, he had very few guards. Like, no more than ten, but no less than five. Made things a bit easier. I hacked a door, and we were creeping around on the ceiling, using our ninja suction-cup climbing tools (Sly borrowing an extra pair of mine). This was just like any one of our reconnaissance escapades. Only we were sneaking in to steal-uh, _borrow_-something, not just intel. I continued moving forward steadily, while Sly was still struggling slightly to keep up. But he was quickly getting the hang of it. Commendable, but not the most complicated thing we would be doing tonight.

=#=#=#=#=

Who doesn't love lasers! Honestly, who? Especially when you can see Sly Cooper's reaction when first eying them. I couldn't restrain the soft giggle raising from my throat. His face...was..._priceless_!

His eyes widened, his jaw hit the floor, and he let out a squeak of fear as he screeched to a halt in his head-long sprint through the halls, nearly colliding with me. I restrained my laughter with effort, and cracked my knuckles.

"Watch this, Sly-guy." I said, lacing my fingers together, and stretching my arms out in front of me. I shook myself loose for a moment before taking a few steps back, running and leaping at the opposite wall, and leaping off again, landing on the ground, twisting my body a bit to avoid incineration. Then, as I swung myself carefully back into my original position on the ground, I leapt forward again, and performed a few twists and tucks as I sailed through the air. Landing on the opposite side of the laser grid, I smirked smugly at my companion. "You comin'?" I asked, hand on a popped hip. "We don't have all night, ya know." I reminded him. Donatello's security hack-in to get us in here and deactivate the cameras wouldn't go undetected all night. Sly smirked, and (I swear I am _not_ making this up) walked along from laser to laser before leaping over the last few, landing beside me.

"What are _you_ waiting for?" He said, hands on hips. We continued down the hallway. And back up onto the ceiling to avoid unnecessary showing off.

=#=#=#=#=

Getting up into a ventilation shaft without making a ton of noise was _difficult_, to say the least...

But, we managed. Crawling along stealthily, we found an exit positioned inside the lab we wanted. Getting the cover inside the shaft, I got my rope out for the third time in at least twenty-four hours. Tying it around Sly's slim waist, I lowered him gently, and silently to the floor. He scurried quickly over to the containment unit that held our score. He brought out a pick-lock, and turned to pick the lock before having to motion me down. He looked worried. I swiftly tied the rope to the cover, and laid it flat against the shaft's floor. It made a clanking noise as it hit the walls of the shaft. I shimmied down in seconds, and ran over to Sly. He pointed to the electronic lock. Cursing this future technology, I activated my gauntlet, and hacked in. The container slid open with a hiss, and a groan, and Sly immediately swiped the diamond. Perfect. Then, Sly leaned forward, taking out a slip of paper. Before I could ask, I saw it was a folded note-card with what I assume was his calling card quickly drawn onto it. It looked like a crude, simplistic raccoon face, complete with white eyes. He slipped it into the vault before I slid it closed, and we sprinted back to the rope.

Five minutes to get outta here...

=#=#=#=#=

It was a little hairy, but Asami and I managed to avoid detection and escape the building without any damage, and the diamond secured in my pack. All in a night's work for a master thief. We exchanged a few more stories on the way back to 'the Penthouse' as Asami called it. Then, Asami asked how exactly I had walked along the lasers. I wasn't opposed to telling the story, and found it relatively easy.

"I was exploring the Cooper family vault, a stockpile of my ancestors collected wealth. I came to my father's section, guarded by said lasers, and somehow knew what to do." I said with a shrug, as I climbed onto a bike with one huge wheel that wrapped around the outside. The future was weird. Really weird. We rode in silence, both lost in thought, all the way to the Penthouse.

=#=#=#=#=

"Donnie told me he," Mikey said, pointing angrily toward Sly, "could walk on lasers!" Mikey cried, laying in wait just inside the door. We jumped slightly, thoroughly startled. "Why didn't you take me, too?" He whined, "I wanted to see that..." He trailed off sadly, shoulders slumped. I sighed.

"Sly...meet my brother, Mikey." I said, waving my arm to my littlest brother as he turned around. Then, I had an entertaining idea. "Hey...how about we show Sly the Battle Simulator?" I suggested, and was met with instant approval from Mikey.

=#=#=#=#=

"What..." Sly breathed, his jaw almost touching the floor, "the...heck?!" He squeaked. "When you said you could fight any enemy, in any scenario, I didn't know what to expect, but...this..." I guffawed.

"Welcome to the big leagues, Sly." I teased, leaning on his shoulder. He seemed to pull himself out of his shock, and grinned.

"Let's do this!" He cried. I had typed in a basic obstacle course, complete with flamethrowers, flying boulders, and (you guessed it) laser grids! We entered the dojo, and prepared to race against each other while waiting for Don and Kody to finish building the thinga-ma-bob.

Mikey joked about running circles around us, and 'taking it easy' on the 'newbie', and I just smirked. Mikey, unlike me, hasn't seen Sly in action before.

This should be good.

=#=#=#=#=

To say Sly flew through the course was an understatement. He raced along nimbly beside us, even managing to make Mikey fully focus on staying ahead of the agile raccoon. But, much to Mikey's chagrin, he kept up with us perfectly. We lept over holographic rooftops, ran along tightropes (Sly said something about one of his ancestors being in the circus or something), and dodged through laser grids at top speeds. I paused, and gripped Mikey's shoulder as we passed the first grid.

"Watch this, bro." I chuckled, and Mikey narrowed his eyes, just as Sly lept into the lasers, and again, walked (or rather, slid) along them. Mikey was left rubbing his eyes in disbelief, and it was Mikey's turn to let his jaw connect with the floor. We turned in synch, and launched ourselves onto the climbing wall, propelling ourselves up.

Or, we _would_ have, if someone hadn't turned off the Simulator. We found ourselves about ten feet in the air (as we had all grasped onto the wall itself) and crashed into the floor, hard. I picked myself shakily up and saw Splinter approaching. I nudged Mikey, and we stood up, bowing in respect.

"Good Morning, father." We greeted simultaneously, smiles gracing our faces. Sly just stood there awkwardly, wondering what to do. Splinter had a serious expression and gave a small nod in return.

"Good morning, children." Then, he turned to me, narrowing his eyes. Never a good sign... "I heard about your escapades last night. Did you steal from O'Neill Tech?" I groaned. I had forgotten that Splinter raised us to be better than thieves...to earn everything we need by scrounging for it, disguising ourselves and buying it, or just doing without it. I bit my lip, but nodded my head.

"Hai. But...we need that diamond, just for a little while," I was quick to add, "so Sly could get back to his original time." I explained, which only earned me an unbelieving stare from my dad. "Sly here is from 2013, but, through a series of events, ended up here. And our teleporters, even if they were working, would send him back to 2013 in _our_ timeline. And he needs to get back to the 2013 in _his_ timeline." I sighed. "As soon as Don and Kody are through with the diamond, and we get Sly back to where he came from, we'll put the diamond back, hopefully without Darius knowing anything about it." I said, and dad huffed, but thankfully seemed to agree.

"Just ensure this exploit doesn't stir up a hornet's nest." He said as he walked out of the room. I sighed.

"Yes, sir." I said, before turning to Sly. "Sorry about that, Sly. My dad...doesn't really approve of stealing." I said with a shrug. Sly blinked.

"Huh." He mused, and walked toward the door. "Mine...wasn't like that."

"Where ya going?" I asked, in unison with Mikey as we scurried to catch up. Sly smirked.

"I'm going to see if the inventors are done with that time-machine."

=#=#=#=#=

After we got back from pulling that job, Asami and I dropped the diamond off at the lab, after I met and was introduced to her brother, another turtle by the name of Mikey. In a word, he was energetic. Somehow, Donatello (Asami had introduced us after my panicky entrance to the lab.) had learned about my father's technique. And then told Mikey, who didn't take missing out too gracefully.

I was gonna havta get Donatello back for that, somehow...

Okay. The giant, crazy cool, holographic battle simulator...might be the coolest thing I have ever seen. It made up an obstacle course Asami programmed and we ran through it (Mikey squealing when I ran across a laser grid) before Asami and Mikey's father confronted us about our theft. He seemed okay.

Anyway...they had said the time-machine was nearly done. They just needed to finish calibrating the laser's matrix, or something. They suggested we all get some rest, and that they would wake us as soon as the time-machine was done. With a heavy sigh, I left to find a couch. No sense asking for a bed.

=#=#=#=#=

I am _not_ a morning person, let it be known...

I woke up to some beeping noise, coming from somewhere too far for me to just reach out and shut it up, so I grumbled and sat up, rubbing my eyes blearily. After last night's escapades, I had _crashed_. Hard. I just hoped Don and Kody completed the device last night. Coming into the kitchen, I found Mikey, trying (with hardly any success) to create pancakes from this future's ingredients.

"Coffee's ready." Mikey said curtly as I was already bringing out a mug. Only to burst out laughing at the sight of Mikey, leaping back and screaming at a minor explosion of baking soda and lemon juice.

"So that's what that beeping was." I muttered, pouring coffee into the ceramic container, and moving to the refrigerator. Pulling out the creamer (my personal favorite; hazelnut. How Kody got this stuff...I don't know) I poured my usual amount before moving on to the sugar solution that Kody insisted was better than using the crystals. Once my coffee was just the way I liked it, I sat down at the kitchen table, and then had to deactivate the automatic service robot that tried to make me lay down. Sly came stumbling in, and Mikey repeated those two glorious words.

"Good. 'S the only thing that gesh me up inna..." Here, he stifled a yawn behind his fist, "morning. What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes, if Mikey can manage it." I replied, laughing. Sly snickered and reclined on a chair, yelping when the service bot activated, and started it's list of questions. I reached over, and flipped the switch to deactivate the robotic servant. Sly was looking panicked, and slumped into the chair, panting.

"What...was..." Sly breathed. I guffawed.

"Just some stupid thing the future decided that we need." I waved him off, sipping my coffee absentmindedly.

"Guys!" Don cried seconds later, just ahead of Kody as he came roaring into the kitchen as we sat around the table, eating pancakes. "Guys! I think we got it working!" He cried, panting. He looked exhausted, and yet quite proud of himself. Kody beamed, hands on slightly shaky knees.

"Yeah! It took all night, but...we did it!"

=#=#=#=#=

"So...This is goodbye..?"

"I'm afraid so, Mr. Cooper. Farewell." Dad smiled as he shook hands with Sly. "If you ever have need of our assistance, we will find a way." Sly grinned.

"I'd like to see you before the world's going crazy, but thanks!"

"Same here, Sly." I said, coming forward and hugging Sly. I smiled. It was slightly sad, seeing him go so soon, but I knew he had a life to get back to. It would be cruel to force him where he was not needed or where he so clearly did not belong. He walked over to the machine, and slipped his hat into it. Don pulled a few levers and pressed a few buttons, and a portal sprang back to life. Through it, I saw a very French village, or maybe a city, with a large train car taking up at least half of the portal's view. I smiled. Sly's home, I'm assuming. "'Goodbye, Sly." We hugged, slightly awkward, after our first meeting, but still. He then faced the portal.

"It's been fun, but I should be heading back." I then step forward.

"Here." I give him a shuriken. "If you need us for anything." I explain. He puts it in his leg knap-sack with a grin.

"Will do! See you later, probably!" And with that…

He was gone.


End file.
